Dr Kate Patterson uses visual language to transform complex scientific concepts for a general audience. Kate is a trans-disciplinary researcher working at the interface of art and science, bringing together the historically segregated fields of technology, art and science in order to contribute new work and knowledge to the field of visual science communication.
Science can be complex, dynamic and invisible to the naked eye. Kate makes this accessible to a broad audience through the combined use of hand drawn illustration, computer generated imagery and 3D animation. Kate transforms raw scientific data using the tools of visual arts and cinematography into a form that can be used for education, communication and awareness purposes.
Kate graduated from the University of Sydney faculty of Veterinary Science in 2003. She worked as a small animal veterinarian until 2009 when she was also awarded her PhD in cancer biology, signal transduction at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Kate then worked as a science writer and illustrator with Professor Susan Clark in the Epigenetics Research Group at the Garvan Institute and also at the National Breast Cancer Foundation. In 2012, she was awarded an Inspiring Australia government grant to produce compelling 3D animations on cancer and epigenetics.
Kate is a Lab Research Fellow in the 3D visualization and aesthetics laboratory at UNSW Art and Design and a visual science communicator in the Epigenetics Research Group at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. She writes the “Drawing from science” column for The Conversation, works freelance as a writer, scientific illustrator and animator trading as MediPics and Prose.